1. Field of the Invention
The present invention refers to a hollow fiber membrane separation device with two flow spaces, of which a first space is formed by the capillary tube passages of a hollow-fiber bundle cast at its ends into a sealing compound, and a second space is formed by a housing enclosing the fiber bundle, in which the first space is sealed off by caps placed on the sealing compounds, and in which the housing, into which the hollow-fiber bundle is drawn, at each end of its casing has tooth-like or pinnacle-like projections formed by axial notches or indentations running out freely.
2. Description of the Related Art
Hollow fiber membrane separation devices of said kind are for instance known from EP-A-0 844 015. In said hollow fiber membrane separation devices, two flow spaces are formed, of which a first space is formed by the capillary tube passages of a hollow-fiber bundle cast at its ends into a sealing compound, and a second space is formed by a housing enclosing the fiber bundle. The first space is sealed off by caps, placed on the sealing compounds, with seals running over the peripheral areas of the sealing compounds. The respective hollow-fiber bundle is drawn into the housing. At each end of its casing, the housing has tooth-like or pinnacle-like projections formed by axial notches or indentations running out freely. The outer areas of the projections are embedded in the sealing compounds so that the free inner areas of the notches or indentations form flow passages for the fluid.
Since the housing, which is pipe-section-shaped and is preferably provided with a circular cross-section, consists of a material having elastic properties, such as polycarbonate, wreath-shaped edges consisting of flexible tongues are formed by the notches or indentations, said edges being at least partially enclosed by the sealing compound. When the sealing compound hardens to form disks, said disks can shrink essentially free of stress, wherein the flexible tongues offer no significant resistance to this shrinking. Thereby, the disks formed by the sealing compounds are firmly joined to the ends of the tubular housing so that the two flow spaces can then be reliably separated from one another by the two caps overlapping one another, with the appropriate sealing means.
Such housings which are formed with the tooth-like or pinnacle-like projections have, however, the drawback that, during the manufacture of the hollow fiber membrane separation device, individual hollow fibers or hollow-fiber bundles can press through the gaps of the axially directed pinnacles. Consequently, the outer hollow fibers or hollow-fiber bundles can protrude out in the gap between the tooth-like or pinnacle-like projections. This is inconvenient during the manufacturing process.